Glacialem cattus, morte spiritus
by Foxbracken - Phoenix Everren
Summary: The only crime Bankpaw ever commited was falling for Eaglepaw. But Rosepaw saw this as a challenge and something to get rid of. So one day in leafbare, Rosepaw took Bankpaw out onto the ice for a game, making sure her enemy strayed toward a certain patch of ice... and making sure Bankpaw will drown.


"Hey, Bankpaw; come over here! Rosepaw has a game she wants to share!" Bankpaw raised her head and blinked her orange eyes at the dark brown tom bounding over to her and she smiled.

"I'm coming, Eaglepaw!" She meowed, getting to her paws and bounding over to her friend. Eaglepaw grinned at her and the duo raced toward a cream colored she-cat. "Hey, Rosepaw, Eaglepaw tells me you have a new game idea," Bankpaw purred, orange eyes shining.

Rosepaw smirked and meowed, "Yes I do." She flashed Eaglepaw a dazzling grin and Bankpaw felt something stir inside her heart but the pale tan she-cat with the mixed ginger lynx markings ignored it. "You know how the lake is completely frozen over? Let's go play on that! I saw Mothflight, Embertail, and Brackenleaf out on the ice yesterday batting around a rock."

Bankpaw and Eaglepaw exchanged an apprehensive, fleeting look. "But today's warmer," Eaglepaw pointed out. "It's too dangerous. Besides, the elders told us about Flametail drowning from playing on the ice."

The cream colored she-cat's brown orbs darkened. "But I checked the ice earlier and it held my weight! It's perfectly safe!" Rosepaw's eyes flashed to Bankpaw, challenge blazing in their depts.

Bankpaw felt the fur along her spine rise and she mewed coolly, "Fine, I'll go with you, Rosepaw."

Eaglepaw stared at both she-cats in unlocked shock before shaking his head. "I'm not going," he growled firmly. "And that's finally," the dark brown tom added in swiftly, seeing Rosepaw's jaws release in remonstration.

The cream colored she-cat growled and lashed her tail. "Very well," she hissed brusquely. "Come along then, Bankpaw."

The pale tan she-cat hesitated warily, turning to Eaglepaw; she touched her muzzle to his and murmured, "Goodbye, Eaglepaw. I hope to see you again." Bankpaw turned away from the vexed and distressed tom and pursued after Rosepaw, lament welling in her torso for not telling Eaglepaw what she wanted to divulge for moons and for going against the sense of trepidation and going with Rosepaw.

* * *

Rosepaw slowed down and the two she-cats halted at the shore of the frozen lake, the sun lowering in the sky. In Rosepaw's lips was a smooth, flattened rock, perfect for tossing around on the ice. Suddenly, the cream colored she-cat lurched forward and slid across the ice, her high pitched laugh muffled by the rock. All feeling of dread evaporated, Bankpaw crowed happily as she ran out onto the ice, skidding around, tumbling to her stomach as she slid a ways before slowing.

The pale tan and lynx marked she-cat scrambled to her paws and struggled up, the harsh ice nipping her pads as Bankpaw placed great effort to gain her footing, this doing so was sapping her strength. Once she got the hang of it, Bankpaw yowled, "I'm ready, Rosepaw!"

The cream colored she-cat flashed Bankpaw a smirk and dropped the rock downward cautiously before slamming her paw into the side and sending it spiraling toward her fellow apprentice. Bankpaw crouched down and shot after it, striking the rock and transferring it soaring to Rosepaw.

* * *

Eaglepaw sat in his nest in the apprentices' den, his yellow eyes narrowed in thoughtfulness. _Why did Bankpaw say that? _He swallowed heavily and whimpered. _She can't die yet, she's too young! And why does Rosepaw suddenly want to play a game with Bankpaw? Rosepaw hates her... _Eaglepaw's yellow eyes widened in fear and he leaped to his paws, racing out of the apprentices' den and toward the ThunderClan camp entrance. _StarClan, please don't let me __be too late!  
_

* * *

Bankpaw sluggishly hit the rock back to Rosepaw, exhausted after playing so long and trying to gain her footing, her long fur weighing her down but keeping her warm, but she couldn't feel her paws from the bitter cold on the ice. The only thing driving her too keep playing was that Rosepaw seemed to be waiting to prove she was the strongest and that Bankpaw was too weak to become a warrior, something Bankpaw heard many times in the past.

Rosepaw, seeing the window to her plan opening, shot the rock flying to the side to a particular patch of frozen water.

Bankpaw, not suspecting a thing, raced after it, pouncing onto the stone. Her orange eyes widened, her heart stopped and leaped into her throat as a blood curdling groan echoed through the ice underneath her and gave way.

* * *

Eaglepaw raced blindly through the forest, branches and bush tendrils slashing his face and body as the dark brown tom streaked toward the frozen lake, just close enough to hear a shriek for aid. "Bankpaw!" He screeched, skidding to a halt at the shore and seeing Bankpaw fall into the chilly water and under the ice.

* * *

Bankpaw rammed her body against the ice above her, her lungs screeching for air. But the she-cat was worn out, her paws were numb, and her long fur weighed her down. _No! I must keep trying to free myself! _Bankpaw thought desperately and she continued to struggle weakly, looking up. Her heart swelled with joy as she saw a blurry dark brown figure above the ice, his mouth forming into screeching words as his paws scrambled against the ice, trying to free her.

But Bankpaw knew her time had come, her fate had been sealed, her path now ended. Pressing one paw onto the ice above in farewell, the she-cat sunk, barely seeing the wailing form of Eaglepaw above her, feeling the frosty, bitter water seeping in her nose, sending microscopic ice crystals into her windpipe and lungs, freezing her insides slowly as the pale tan lynx marked she-cat felt herself being frozen alive, not able to breath nor move, seeing the fading sunlight filtering through the ice disappearing, engulfed by darkness.

The bitter frostiness bites her skin, stinging the poor apprentice, but she couldn't do anything, but inside she was wailing. Bankpaw had sealed her eyes shut and managed to seal her ears, but that didn't protect her nose and the numbing sensation seemed to consume her body painfully slow. _Why, StarClan? _She wailed silently. _What did I ever do to deserve this slow death?_

Bankpaw felt her heart slow and her lungs stop, but she was still alive. Still alive and suffering painfully, deep into the lake. Finally, after what seemed like moons, Bankpaw felt her life seep out of her slowly, draining like sap from a tree. _StarClan, please welcome me._

* * *

Eaglepaw stood hunched over the ice where Bankpaw sunk, his front paws bleeding, raw, and numb with cold. Sobs racked his body as his vision blurred and swam. "Bankpaw, come back," he wailed, faintly hearing shouts and barely registered the fact jaws were clamped on his scruff and dragging him away. The tom struggled weakly, wailing, "No! Bankpaw's still under the ice! I have to save her!"

* * *

Rosepaw stared at the tom, pretending to be hurt and stunned, but inside she smirked. _Don't worry, my love. You will soon realize Bankpaw was a worthless cat._

* * *

Eaglecry stared up at the stars. Moons had passed since Bankpaw's tragic death and his warrior ceremony, but he wasn't the same cat he once was. His heart yearned for Bankpaw and sometimes he would be woken by his fellow warriors because of his thrashing and screaming. His heart also held hate for Rosethorn, for he knew she caused his love's death, but he couldn't bring himself to tell the Clan. Especially not now. Rosethorn was in the nursery, suckling Wolftail's kits.

The dark brown tom slowly rose to his paws and padded out toward the lake, standing at its shore. "I'm sorry, Bankpaw!" Eaglecry howled to the sky, shaking. "I'm so sorry!" Guilt clawed his stomach and Eaglecry desperately wished he told Bankpaw his feelings to her and tried to keep her from going out onto the ice.

* * *

The next morning, Eaglecry dragged himself to the nursery to see his sister, Tawnyfeather and her kits. But when he entered, he realized she was asleep, but Rosethorn wasn't. "Eaglecry, can I name my only daughter Bank-kit?" inquired the cream colored queen.

Eaglecry's hackles raised and he growled lowly, "No, Rosethorn. You may never name your kits after her, Bankpaw was so much better then you, rat." Ignoring Rosethorn's hurt expression; he raced out of the den and into the forest, needing to get away from the Clan.

That's when he heard the weak wail of a kit. Eaglecry sighed sadly and padded over to the sound, freezing when his yellow orbs lied on a tiny, long-haired pale tan she-cat with ginger lynx markings. Saying his thanks to StarClan, the slightly perkier dark brown tom grabbed the kit and headed back to camp, tail raised high. Slipping into the nursery, Eaglecry ignored Rosethorn and nudged Tawnyfeather awake. "Can you raise this kit I found?" He whispered, nudging the weak scrap to his sister's belly.

Tawnyfeather's eyes softened and she nodded, pulling the kit close. "I will as long as you name her," she murmured, blinking at her brother, joyous to see the same happy spark in his yellow orbs.

Eaglecry didn't need time to decide. A soft, ghost of a smile played on his lips and he uttered, "Bank-kit." Ignoring the soft cry from the other queen, Eaglecry licked Bank-kit's head and bounded out of the nursery, a spring in his step as he headed toward his leader to tell about the new Clan member.

* * *

**Total words not including this author's note: 1, 574 words.**

**Glacialem cattus, morte spiritus = Frozen cat, dying spirit in Latin.**


End file.
